Close Yet
by Shizuku Tsukishima749
Summary: Six times Pan and Trunks are separated. But always they return.
1. Dolltaki and Lord Luud

_A/N: _This fic is entirely made up of six vignettes set throughout Dragon Ball GT, surrounding the times Trunks and Pan have been separated (_in chronological order_). This is meant to show the deep and special _friendship _between the two, but it can be seen as romance if any Pan/Trunks shippers so wish.

_One (Black Star Dragon Balls Saga)_: First Dolltaki took Pan, and now she's trapped inside Lord Luud. But not for long, if Trunks can help it.

* * *

**Close Yet**

The moment the Para Para brothers' ship takes off with Pan and Giru still inside, Trunks panics.

Immediately he begins interrogating the aliens, demanding to know where Pan's gone, and lucky for him (and the brothers, knowing Trunks' protectiveness of the girl) the youngest is rather dim.

The Saiyans trail Pan as quickly as possible in their own spaceship, but by the time they reach Planet Luud there is no sign of the ten-year-old.

Just when Trunks is ready to blast the entire castle apart in search of Pan, one thing and one thing only gives him hope: Giru. The little robot who is so devoted to Pan is shaking like a leaf in his arms and insists on repeating "Pan! Pan! Pan in danger! Pan in danger!" over and over.

Trunks shoots toward the castle without wasting another second, Goku at his heels.

If Pan is there, if she's in trouble, he'll find her and make sure she's safe. Nobody messes with her without dealing with him.

But in reaching the castle they can find no trace of her body or ki anywhere. This only serves to make the fire in Trunks' heart burn brighter.

He _will _find her.

He promised her long ago, when she was still just a little girl who was in love with the Turtle School uniform given to her by her beloved grandfather, that he would always protect her without hesitation, and there is no way he's going to let some cult overseen by a manipulative overlord stop him.

He doesn't care what it takes.

He'll get her back.

And though he is temporarily distracted by the fight with Cardinal Mutchy Mutchy, the thing that gives him strength is the knowledge that Pan is waiting for them, is depending on their help. Just thinking of the child curled up in the dark somewhere, crying and screaming for them as she is held captive or worse causes Trunks' fighting spirit to overflow.

He and Goku defeat Mutchy Mutchy in short order, and they are on Pan's nonexistent trail again when another man appears.

They hear everything he (whose name is apparently Dolltaki...how disturbingly fitting…) says, watch closely everything he does, and it is only when he mentions Pan and holds up the doll in his possession that they come to realize the truth.

"_That's Pan_?" Goku sputters in his shock, while Trunks is speechless at his side.

It's true that the doll is the spitting image of Pan, but there's just no way…! And yet, with how its brown eyes penetrate his blue ones and dig into the confines of his soul in only the way Pan's can do…there is no denying it.

_This is Pan_.

The next thing he hears of Dolltaki is just as riling and disgusting as the last, and he is about to let a bloodthirsty retort roll off his tongue—when Goku beats him to it:

"Over my dead body!"

And Trunks can only agree with shaking fists and blazing eyes. Dende, if only looks could kill…

But nothing seems to faze the man as Dolltaki merely takes doll-Pan and nuzzles his cheek against hers, while Trunks is ready to explode at the sight of his utterly defenseless best friend being manhandled in such a way.

He starts to raise an energy-bridling palm, but the process is halted when Goku reaches up and clasps his arm in a tight, urgent hold.

"Goku, what are you doing?" he demands, looking down at the fifty-two-turned-twelve-year-old, but he stops his tirade in seeing the little man's serious, protective expression.

"Trunks, if we attack like that, we'll only end up hurting Pan. We'll have to find a better way, somehow convince him to give her back to us." His face hardens with hidden pain, and Trunks is almost embarrassed to find himself feeling the slightest bit afraid of his friend. "And if that doesn't work we'll have no choice, but that has to be our last resort if we want Pan safe."

And Dende knows that's all Trunks ever wants.

He nods firmly, his released arm dropping to his side.

He looks up and gives a shout of surprise as they are blinded by a green light (this brings back memories…), and the next thing they see is the giant machine Dolltaki and the cult's followers call Lord Luud.

This keeps his attention for but a moment as he spots Dolltaki cackling before turning tail and running away, the man's last words echoing in the enclosed room:

"You'll soon realize that trying to get her back will only get you killed!"

Trunks roars.

He doesn't _care _what happens to him—he _never _has. All he cares about is protecting Pan, making sure she comes out unscathed and lives the life she deserves.

He's not about to let Dolltaki take her away from him, and he and Goku dart forward in order to prove it. But Luud jumps to the man's defense, and it seems they'll have no choice but to fight him as he blocks them again and again. Even when they try to split up, with Trunks going after Pan and Goku taking on Luud, there is no getting past him.

Grudgingly, they realize Pan will have to wait.

With nothing but her in mind, best friend and grandfather do their best to take down the childish machine and are _this close _to succeeding when a sudden wind blows and somehow Luud comes back stronger than ever.

Things don't look good as the castle is basically obliterated in the ensuing battle, and Luud is beating them both to a pulp.

It doesn't seem they have a chance of victory, and yet neither can bring himself to simply give it up.

Pan needs them.

_She _is all that matters now.

This way, Trunks is keeping his promise. He'll fight for her until he breathes his last breath, and even then his spirit will continue on in this endeavor.

But for all of his vows, when Luud hits him head-on with a mega laser blast, he is dearly ashamed to admit he has been blown out of commission.

His condition compels him to watch now from the sidelines as Goku takes on Luud alone, firing at the spot just above his heart the way the Para Para brothers instruct.

It is solely when Trunks hears Pan's name that he feels his life force being restored.

Even though she's been absorbed by Luud she's all right, and while she's not happy to be there with the annoying brothers or that pedophile-with-a-doll-fetish Dolltaki, at least she's safe.

He's relieved, but only when she is back in his sight and within reach will he be truly convinced.

At last Goku and Pan get the rhythm right, and with a mighty explosion and dancing green lights those who have been sacrificed to Luud are set free.

When the lights fade, there is a moment of dazed silence.

But in Trunks managing to get to his feet, there is a joyous shout and tiny, warm, strong arms enwrap him.

"_Trunks_!"

The voice is that of an angel, and not an instant passes before Pan is taken into his arms fully, her bandana-clad head and forehead laden with kisses.

"_Pan_…!"

She fortifies her hold to match his, breathing in his familiar scent and drinking in the warmth and safety she feels in these beloved arms.

In all, he's kept his promise.

* * *

_A/N: _Thanks for reading, as always!


	2. Rilldo

_A/N: _Thanks so much for the support that's come with the first chapter! So glad my readers are enjoying so far!

_Two _(_Baby Saga_): General Rilldo has it out for Pan, but Trunks doesn't dare let anything happen.

* * *

Trunks sees it before it even starts.

Pan, bless her fighting spirit, is so deeply immersed in her temper that it often overrides her common sense. By the time she truly comprehends what she's gotten herself into, it's already too late.

And it is for this reason more than anything else that the older boy's heart seizes when, in a move of utmost fire and bravery (otherwise known as stupidity at this moment in time), she rockets toward General Rilldo.

While it's true her punch to the face stands, has them all gaping, something in the air shifts at the same time.

And Trunks knows.

The way Rilldo snaps his head back into position like it's nothing;

The way his eyes are filled with such malice as he gazes down at a suddenly-terrified Pan;

The way Trunks _swears _the General's eyes flicker to meet his, as if taunting him.

There is an unsettling, almost-feral communication in the set of the robotic mutant's lips…

He's glaring straight at her…-!

All else fades as green laser beams shoot from bright, cruel, calculating eyes, locked on Pan.

And Pan herself is stock-still, paralyzed with fear as she looks death full in the face.

"_Pan_!" he shouts, his voice very nearly breaking mid-plea. "Get out of there!"

She doesn't seem to hear him.

Trunks curses inwardly, face morphing into a mask of determination.

He has only seconds, but that is all he'll need to save the best thing that's ever happened to him.

He blurs out of sight and reappears at the ten-year-old's side, pushing her well out of harm's way of the beams.

He's facing the threat head-on now, and though Pan's shrill screams in the background strike a chord, he knows he's not wrong. Truly, it's better this way.

Even the searing pain he feels in a mere second is all worth it.

Pan is all right, and that's all that matters.

He feels himself slipping, his body tingling as it finally goes numb, but he smiles inside all the same.

_Believe in me, Pan. Be strong._

_

* * *

_Pan's horrified, heart-wrenching wails fill the air.

Trunks, the last of the trio to still be locked in his metal prison, has been smashed to bits in a game of keep-away gone wrong.

The child crashes to her knees among the shattered remains of her best friend, picking up several and squeezing them in her powerful fists as strongly as she is able without obliterating what little she has left of him.

She can feel no spark of life with him like this, can extract no comfort from his warmth and mere presence the way she used to, and the tears stream down her face.

"I can't believe he's…_dead_!"

There is no right word for the anguish and heartbreak that fills her voice, but whatever it is freezes the heart and circuitry of those around.

"Pan, I'm okay!"

A chill runs up the child's spine, the hair on the back of her neck stands erect, and she dares to lift her head from its damp nest in her hands.

She swears she's completely lost it.

For there, walking down the long flight of stairs just a _few_ _feet_ _away_, is—

"_Trunks_!"

Scrambling to her feet, she trips over herself numerous times in her haste to get to him, a beam seemingly forged of starlight etched onto her face.

The boy smiles back and jumps over the stairway railing, coming to land steadily on both feet just before he is nearly bowled over by a comet in the form of his best friend.

Holding him fast about the waist, she buries her face in his stomach.

Her entire body trembles with the weight of her warring heart.

Finally, she lets it all out.

"How could you do that to me, you idiot?" she cries, her punches to his back and kicks to his legs half-hearted, releasing only a tenth of their true force. "You let me think that all this was my fault, that I'd gotten you k-killed!" She stops fighting, her hold on him tightens all the more, and her sobs make themselves known as her tears soak his (_warm, life-proving_) shirt. "I thought I'd l-lost you, T-Trunks. I t-thought I'd never s-see you again, a-and I had n-no one to b-blame but m-myself."

The twenty-three-year-old, his arms already tight around her in an effort to offer comfort to the one he loves most in this world, finally can take no more.

Releasing his hold ever-so gently, he bends down on one knee so he is eye-to-eye with his darling girl.

Proffering an affectionate smile, he reaches forward with careful gloved hands to wipe the tears from her cheeks, to brush some tear-sticky strands of hair from her face.

"Pan, you were never to blame," he asserts softly, and there is a serious note to his voice that makes her believe him beyond her protesting heart. "Giru and I had this planned from the beginning, and Goku guessed it long before," his eyes darken for a single moment, "but you never suspected a thing because you're too young to be familiar with this kind of strategy." Due to the severity of their situation, she decides to let this particular allusion to her age slide…for now… "We couldn't breathe a word or we knew it would ruin everything, so we kept quiet about it…" here his face takes on a guilty tinge as he averts his eyes and his voice goes quiet; all at once Pan feels sorry for him, knowing how hard it must have been for him to keep such a terrible secret, "…even if it meant risking you…"

He finally looks up at her again, and his bright blue eyes are so intense that she can do naught but throw her arms around his neck and pepper his cheek with kisses.

"You're my best friend, Trunks," she whispers in his ear, "and you're alive." He holds her tighter, at the exact moment she does him. "That's all I care about."

The half-Saiyan burrows into her shoulder.

"I love you, too, Pan. Always."

* * *

_A/N: _I have finals/half-days this week, but I really don't study for those and still do fine...so I'll have the next chapter up soon! XD By 'risking you,' Trunks meant emotionally. Just thought I'd clarify.

Thanks for reading, as always!


	3. Baby

_A/N: _Considering I was mentally dead when I posted this initially, I reread, reedited, and posted again. I definitely like this version better_._

_Three (Baby Saga): _Baby's taken Trunks' body for now, but Pan won't let it go on.

_**Notifications:**_

"Baby-(name)": Someone Baby's overtaken_ **  
**_

* * *

Truthfully, they've been on edge the entire time; they've just been good at hiding it.

In rescuing the little boy from the spaceship, everything's fine.

But the moment they get to the hospital, they can just tell that something isn't right. They can't explain it, but they can _feel_ that there is something else, something _evil_, at work here.

The explosion only heightens their senses and adds to their worries. And it is in this moment, in the midst of the confusion and panic, that an instantaneous flash of ki brushes the innate receptors of their ancient warrior race.

Immediately, Trunks and Pan lock eyes.

But it _can't_ be…!

When everything's been cleaned up and repaired, the trio convenes to formulate a plan of action.

"How can he be _alive_, Grandpa?" Pan demands, her face a mix of anger, sadness, and fear as she grips her knees tightly. Trunks takes one of her hands in his own, and she squeezes all of the strength from it she can. "We _saw_ him die on planet M-2!"

Goku's expression is hard to discern at first, but after a few moments he breaks into a sardonic smile.

"I don't know, Pan. We saw to it that nothing was left, and we know Dr. Myuu is long dead, too." He closes his eyes and sighs heavily. "I'm not sure how he survived, only that he did." His eyes snap open, filled to the brim with determination as he stands from his spot on the grass. "But he doesn't know we know that, and we have to keep it that way. And the best way to do that is to bait him."

"But Goku, isn't that a little _dangerous_? What if something happens?" Trunks queries, his grip on Pan's hand tightening. He knows as well as anyone that Goku would never put his granddaughter in any unnecessary danger, but this seems a little _too_ perilous.

Goku offers him a soothing, nearly-feral grin.

"Don't worry, Trunks. I may be younger now, but that doesn't mean anyone's going to end up getting hurt." And he punctuates his words with such a fierce lilt that Trunks knows everything will be all right.

The boy nods, leaning one arm on top of Pan's head to pester her while he plays innocent, and the discussion continues from there.

In the end, they go along with Goku's suggestion.

The three drop hints for days, leaving each other vulnerable with Baby at different intervals (though they are never truly alone; the others are always sure to be close by).

Trunks and Pan watch each other especially closely.

When Pan pets the fawn with Baby-alien-child just behind her, creeping closer and closer until he is but a second away from clasping his hands around her small throat, the half-Saiyan boy has to curl his toes and clench his fists to keep himself in line. He _can't _blow their cover…but this is _far_ too close…! Come _on_, Pan…!

He draws strength from Goku's hand on his arm. The full-Saiyan worries, too, but they can't show themselves yet. Not yet…

At last, Pan's pinkie finger shoots out as the enemy breathes down her neck.

The cue is given.

The two crouching in the bushes, breathing sighs of relief, come out of their hiding spot and join them mock-innocently in the clearing. Making a show of petting the baby deer with Pan at his side, Trunks smiles at the little girl and caresses her cheek with a feather-light touch—the same way he always does so as not to arouse misgivings on Baby's part—though there is something much deeper in the actions at this moment in time.

When Trunks feigns interest in the Baby-doctor's offer of a tour of the hospital, Pan clenches her metal knife and fork until they bend and crack in half. She _knows_ this is all part of the plan, but that doesn't mean she has to like it.

Looking across the table to catch the serious brown eyes of her Grandpa (miraculously, he's stopped eating), they nod simultaneously and hop down from their chairs without a sound.

They creep down a few halls as quickly as they can and peek around the wall of the room which harbors their friend and adversary.

The sight that greets them is as expected: Baby-doctor is attempting to subdue Trunks enough to invade his body while the twenty-three-year-old is struggling against him.

And even though she knows Trunks is just playing a part in their bigger plan, Pan hates to see him look and sound so helpless. He's so very much a _victim_ that it hurts, more so because she can't recall ever seeing him like this in all of her tender years.

When she and Goku go in for the kill, then, she does so with all of her heart. _Nobody _makes her best friend look so defeated and gets away with it!

Baby, shrieking as he is blasted off Trunks, demands to know how they found out about his hiding place. Meanwhile, the lavender-haired young adult topples over, feeling momentarily weak and lightheaded.

Pan rises into the air in preparation to go to him, but his sky-blue eyes lock with hers and assure her he's all right. Rather, even if he were more seriously injured than some bruising and shortness of breath, he'd still tell her to stay away.

It's dangerous to be any closer to Baby than she already is, and even then…

Bottom line being he doesn't want her hurt.

Getting to his feet, he smirks in stumbling a bit before positioning both hands out in front of him, following the others' leads and getting into a defensive stance.

"When you attacked the doctor a few days ago, it seems you forgot to mask your energy!" Goku remarks snidely, rubbing under his nose as his Cheshire-Cat grin widens.

"It was only for a minute, but that was all we needed!" Pan adds, smirking deviously.

"We've put ourselves in these situations purposely, waiting for you to come on out!" Trunks finishes, smiling triumphantly.

Baby seethes for a moment before cackling and threatening them outright. The three merely fortify their defenses. They won't go down so easily.

Rushing forward, Baby loops upward and is nearly on top of Pan before Trunks pulls her behind him and Goku shoots a ki blast the Tuffle creation's way. The parasite cries out, but this only intensifies his resolve. He _hates_ these filthy creatures! If they weren't so powerful, he'd have had and killed them by now…

They perform a three-pronged attack flawlessly, and it is not until he's surrounded that he sees his chance.

He powers up, a dome of sheer, steadily growing energy encasing him. The room explodes.

The Saiyans are hurled off their feet, Pan and Goku on one side and Trunks on the other. The youngest man's arm has been sliced open due to a combination of the blast and sharp debris. Baby's fangs practically drip with saliva at the sight.

Though the boy tries to stem the blood-flow, tries to tie it off (because he knows what could happen if he doesn't), his efforts fail.

Baby pounces before Trunks even realizes what's happening, and by that time he is already screaming bloody murder. In milliseconds, the Saiyan brat is locked away within his own mind, and there is no way out.

"Trunks, _no_!"

Baby-Trunks hears the little female wretch's disbelieving cry, and he leers.

At Goku's side, Pan trembles.

She knows what she just saw, but she doesn't want to believe it. Now that her best friend, one of the strongest Saiyans she knows, has been taken over by Baby…what does that mean for her, for _Grandpa_?

She clenches her fists. This has to end _here_, with Trunks!

_You can't let him control you, Trunks! You're better than that!_

Suddenly Goku, picking himself up after having been blasted off his feet by Baby-Trunks, warns the possession-creature that if he doesn't return Trunks' body he'll force him.

At this, Pan is taken aback. Her mouth goes so dry it hurts, and her heart beats painfully against her chest.

"Grandpa, _wait_! You'll _kill _him!" The words scarcely make it past her constricting throat. "There has to be a better way!"

But before anything can be said or done whatsoever, Baby-Trunks wallops Goku again. The smaller Saiyan is still vulnerable when the alien blurs to hover over him, an expanding ki blast ready to obliterate at point-blank range.

"Not even _you _can escape this!"

Beneath its glow, Goku is sweating buckets as his body quakes uncontrollably and tears gather in his eyes. He _knows_ what's happening, can see and hear and _feel _it, but as he looks into Trunks' familiar and dearly-loved blue eyes his heart refuses to believe it will truly end this way.

"Trunks, don't do it!" Pan pleads, her voice choked as she inwardly battles between the lives of her best friend and her adored grandfather.

No matter what, she knows she can't let Baby win! If this were turned around, Trunks would fight for her at any cost, until his body gave in and his spirit fought on.

She is determined to do the same for him. She would never forgive herself if she left him to fight this alone.

With a great cry she lunges forward, taking Baby-Trunks in a chokehold and striving to pry him off of Goku. However, even her great strength proves too little as the alien remains unfazed.

Finally, in seeing she's getting nowhere, she finds she has one option left.

But if she does that, Trunks will die…

Burying her face in the crook of his neck, her tears cascade to soak his bandana as her chokehold becomes a tight hug.

"Please, Trunks!" she sobs. "Come back!" Her hold tightens. "I-I need you!"

Silence.

_Boom_!

Pan's eyes snap open, though she does not scream, for it is not her grandfather's head that is blown to bits.

Rather, it is the _wall_.

And what's more, what-might-be-her-best-friend has gathered her against his chest, effectively shielding her from the detonation

Something inside Trunks has snapped.

Baby's noticed, too. Usurping control once more, he harshly throws Pan to the floor and shakes like a leaf as he turns to inspect his new body.

"What…happened?" he screeches aloud.

_"Ha! _ I_ happened, Baby!"_

Pan is as bright as a supernova. She _knew _Trunks was too strong!

Looking down, Trunks sees Goku's relieved, proud grin and beaten body. Even though the man only seems to care that he's all right, Trunks is sorry he couldn't have wrestled control back earlier. He might have prevented Goku's injuries.

He turns to Pan next, sees her brilliant beam and the tear tracks on her face. She looks so beautiful… And all the more he wishes she hadn't had to see him like this. Though he knows she would tell him this wasn't his fault, he feels guilty all through.

Motioning for them to hide, he backs away and waits until he knows they'll be safe. He can't bear to hurt them more than he already has.

"This is _my_ body! You get out of here _right_ _now_!" he screams. Baby's resistance efforts are powerful yet small, and he hears the parasite's panicked questions. He pays them no heed. "_Get out of my body_!"

He reaches deep down inside of him and takes in all of the energy he can, pushing until he is on the brink of his known power. He can hear Pan and Goku cheering him on vaguely, and through the pain and strain he manages a minute smile. He does this for the entire universe, yes, but _here_ is his true motivation.

A blackness creeps out of him all at once, and a strange, welcome pureness fills him as he releases the energy and descends slowly to the floor. Coughing violently on his hands and knees, he and the others are alarmed when they are unexpectedly blinded by a bright light.

When they open their eyes Baby is gone. Goku flies through the hole in the wall (that's the only way he could have gone), but he comes back empty-handed a second later.

"There's an airport outside, and his energy's disappeared..." They know what that means, and for a moment they are hard on themselves. But sadness and defeat are not Goku's fortes. Flying over to Trunks, he lays a strong, proud hand on his shoulder, his grin matching. "You really showed him, Trunks! If Vegeta were here, I'm sure he'd be just as proud of you as we are!"

The boy smiles at this. He's worked to make his Father proud all his life.

His attention is diverted, however, as Pan throws herself into his arms. Kissing his forehead and cheeks in succession, she pulls back, one small hand left behind to cup his cheek.

"Are you all right?" she asks frantically, still very much afraid for him.

He smiles tenderly and threads their fingers together.

"I'm okay, Pan," he reassures lovingly. Undoing the bandana from around his neck as he is unable to stand her tears any longer, he reaches forward to gently wipe them away. "I promise."

Putting forth her best smile, she unties her own bandana from around her head and ties it securely around his still-bleeding arm.

His expression is surprised when she looks up, and she leans forward to give him a good cuff upside the head.

"You'd better be."

Trunks rubs the offending area with an adoringly sheepish smile.

"I'll keep that in mind."

* * *

_A/N: _My finals were all relatively easy (Trigonometry was the biggest contender, oddly enough... I was _sure _that would be A.P. Physics... O.o), and I have a three-day weekend starting today (with no homework because I did it last week/on Monday)! XD I should have a lot of time to write this weekend! Yay!

Thanks for reading, as always!


	4. Baby 2

_Four _(_Baby Saga_): Baby is back with a vengeance, but Pan refuses to sit idly by.

_**Notifications:**_

"Baby-Great-Ape": The name given to Baby-Great-Ape-Vegeta _before _Trunks knows it's his Father.

Babies-"name" and "name"(etc.): Both (or more) have been taken by Baby

* * *

The last time Pan sees Trunks, they're parting ways.

They've gotten the Dragon Balls back to Kami's Lookout, have left them in the capable care of Dende and Mr. Popo, and are finally returning home after eleven-and-a-half months away.

Trunks, flying the ship back to Capsule Corp., is stunned to find no else home except his Father. He's glad, of course; his Father doesn't usually show himself much, his emotions besides arrogance and fury and indifference much less, so to have him here when Trunks arrives home after so long feels wonderful.

But soon he notices that there is something…_off _about his Father. He's quieter than he normally is (which is a definite red flag, considering he barely does anything but brood silently as it is), his shoulders have a harsher set to them, and the glint in his eyes is more bloodthirsty than any Trunks has ever seen before.

So Dende help him when he is less surprised than perhaps he should be when the moment comes and everything crashes down around him in realizing the truth:

This is _not _his Father!

Baby's taken _everyone_—his Mother, his little sister, Goten, Gohan, Chi-Chi, Videl, and the rest of Earth's inhabitants as well—even his tough-as-nails, 'I-am-all,' Saiyan Prince of a _Father_!

There is so much more wrong here than Trunks cares to think about right now.

His Baby-Father lunges at him, punches him, kicks him, slams him against the wall, aims a massive ki blast his way, and none of Trunks' evasion tactics work.

The boy's frantic pleas do nothing to snap Baby-Vegeta out of it, and Trunks is growing more and more desperate.

He _can't_ fight his Father…but if he doesn't he'll be possessed, too, and then…then what about Goku and Pan? What if, because he's not there with them, something happens? What if he is so far gone once he's swallowed up that he no longer knows them, that he _attacks _them?

The mere thought churns his stomach and causes bile to rise to the forefront of his throat, but he uses all of his strength of self to quell them both.

He _knows _who he is, and he refuses to allow himself to forget so easily. Besides, even if Baby _has_ grown stronger by now, Trunks has already beaten the parasite once! He can do it again!

A swift punch to the face and a powerful kick to the gut have Trunks flat on his back in a second flat, and his Baby-Father is practically on top of him when two small missiles come out of nowhere and stop the possessed Saiyan in his tracks.

"Giru!"

Trunks is delighted at the appearance of the robot, as the robot is to see him, but that delight soon turns to terror as the Baby-Saiyan-Prince's aggression shifts to Giru.

"Giru, get out of here! It's too dangerous!" the young adult begs, but the little A.I. is just the wrong amount of stubborn.

"Negative! Giru protect Trunks! Giru protect Trunks!"

And though he loves the robot all the more for this, the twenty-three-year-old can't let the devoted machine risk itself this way.

"I'll be fine! You have to get to Pan and Gok—_ah_!"

Baby-Vegeta has him in a vice grip by the throat, and through the little A.I.'s floundering chatter behind him, Trunks is forced to make one of the most heartrending decisions of his life.

Painstakingly slowly he stretches a palm, delving deep down within his energy pool to find the right ore, and in coming across it at last a ki blast materializes in the open area.

Looking straight into eyes that were meant to belong to the Prince of all Saiyans, he rasps out, "I'm sorry, Father."

The energy ball connects as planned, and the two are separated by the explosion's force.

Struggling even to catch his breath after a blast of such great magnitude, Trunks squints through the dust to see that the apartment wall facing the skyline has been reduced to rubble. Through the destruction he can't tell if his Baby-Father has recovered yet or even survived, but it doesn't quite matter.

This is his chance!

Motioning for Giru to follow, he takes to the sky without a sound and shoots off toward his friends—when a hand shoots out from the sunken apartment and grabs his leg.

The next thing Trunks knows he is on the floor, his ribs so badly bruised (though he wouldn't be surprised if it's worse than that; it certainly feels like it) he can hardly move. A virtually unscathed Baby-Vegeta looms above him, and in looking around for Giru Trunks gasps to see the destroyed robot lying on the floor beside the door.

It must have tried to defend Trunks when he was down…

The half-Saiyan's fury sparks a ferociousness inside of him, and it is all focused on Baby.

First his family, then his friends, now Giru—what more can be taken from him?

Besides, if they aren't already those same friends are probably fighting Goku and Pan right now! And though he knows for a fact—has seen it first-hand—that Goku will fight his sons and even his wife if he has no other choice, Pan would rather die than fight those she loves.

He growls like a Mother bear barred from her cubs. He needs to get _out _of here! His friends _need _him!

But as he quickly realizes, despite all of the power his hatred gives him, he has no energy left, and he cannot stem the fear and self-loathing that overflow in his heart as Baby in his Father's body smiles knowingly, cruelly.

The alien pounces all at once, and although liquid ice and fire both consume him readily and he screams and struggles and _fights _all the way, a deadly silence is very soon all he knows.

_Forgive me, Pan._

_

* * *

_

The next time Pan sees Trunks, the entire population of Earth has been moved to Planet Tuffle.

She, Gramps, and Buu have succeeded in infiltrating the new planet's base, and in observing Baby-Vegeta from a tall roof, Pan gasps in seeing the alien's inner rankings.

Babies-Bulla, Bulma, Uncle Goten, Mama, Papa, and T—!

She chokes on air and nearly loses herself, shocked tears welling in her eyes almost immediately.

But that's—! He wouldn't—! _No_!

Lurching forward, she calls out his name, praying to Dende, to Kami, to _Piccolo_, that he'll hear her and somehow come back to his senses (the way he did last time…).

"_Trunks_—!"

She is off her feet in a moment's time, though is stopped from going to him by arms holding her fast. She is drawn against the owner's chest, his mauve gi scratchy and familiar to her, and though she loves the man holding her she cannot help but struggle all the same.

"_Gramps_!" she defies, punching at his chest and kicking his shins harshly. "Let me _go_!" The fighting dies down after another moment, and the girl collapses into his arms in a shaking fit of tears. "He's my _best_ _friend_, Gramps! H-he _needs_ me!"

The old man only holds her tighter, stroking her bandana-clad head and stealing a glance at the object of her affections.

"I know, honey. I know."

And truly, he does. He's been up close and personal with Pan for years now, ever since she started training at age two. Over the years, he's watched her friendship with the Briefs boy bloom, grow, and flourish. He knows how far their devotion to each other goes—_beyond the temporal barrier of life itself_—so much so that even with his experience he can't begin to understand how hard this must be.

"Not again! This _can't_ happen again!" she tells herself, face pressed into Mr. Satan's chest. She is so emotionally exhausted from crying, but finds she is powerless to stop. What has Trunks done to deserve this anyway? "Please don't leave me, Trunks," she prays, gripping fistfuls of her Gramps' gi. "I still remember your promise."

She remembers that vow after all of these years, has kept it close to her heart since the day it was made, and it's one that Trunks has kept beautifully.

Now, if she can, she'll keep hers just the same.

* * *

Finally, when she's had all she can take and challenges Baby outright, she is shocked to find her Baby-parents coming down to meet her instead.

She trusts them at first, her naïve heart wanting to believe they're all right again and are here to help her. But as she catches Baby-Vegeta's glaring eyes the good feeling is replaced with a bad one, which amplifies one hundred fold when her Baby-parents are ordered to go in for the kill.

Instantly, her Baby-Father's unyielding hands snake around her throat. The child, eyes tearing up in her outrageous distress, reaches up with trembling hands and attempts to pry the appendages loose, but is not surprised to find there is no casting off his iron grip.

Through the tears that course down her cheeks, she begs him to remember who he is, to understand what he's about to do. Yet nothing seems to help, and it becomes clear in due time that she might well have to fight him.

But just when she musters enough energy in her fading body to actually engage him in combat, she falters. This is her beloved _Father_! How can she possibly be expected to fight him, perhaps even go so far as to _kill_ _him_ should this become a game of survival of the fittest?

Even as her world starts rapidly fading to black, even as she puts all of her faith in her Grandpa Goku's ability to save her just in time like he always does, she never wavers.

She cannot fight him.

And none can blame her for that.

Especially not Trunks, locked away within his innermost mind once more.

Baby has learned from last time. His psychological cage is far stronger than before. But he can still watch all that occurs outside.

So it is understandable that the moment he sees Pan everything else stops.

When Pan screams for him he does the same for her;

When she confronts Baby point-blank he pleads on his hands and knees for her to stop before she gets herself killed;

When he sees her own parents, people he loves as much as his own Mother and Father, about to murder their own flesh and blood as casually as they would a fly on the wall, he demands they open their eyes to the truth and _fight_!

Two counts against them: Baby has the others, andhe knows how much power Gohan holds.

But there is one thing that might turn this situation around: perhaps these same power-driven thoughts will cause Baby to underestimate _Gohan_ and overestimate his _body_! Maybe if the older man fights hard enough, he will be able to take back enough control to stop himself from doing the unthinkable!

But as he sees Pan's face turn blue from lack of oxygen and her eyes start to roll into the back of her head, he cannot stop the river-flow of liquid diamonds or the string of bloodcurdling screams and dearly-meant threats that flood his mind-prison.

His best friend is _dying _right before his eyes, and as he can do absolutely nothing but _watch_! He can't bear to look up for fear of what he'll find, but then to the back of him there is the echo of his _real _Father's admonishing voice, telling him that a Saiyan Prince never bows his head. He chokes on his own tears as this weight hits him for the millionth time.

He is helpless, despicably so, and it gutshim utterly.

Doing as his beloved Father would want, he stands and lifts his head, closing his eyes for no more than a moment to wipe away his tears. But in that moment he must miss something crucial, for when he opens his eyes again the tides have turned.

Pan is on the floor now, sitting up and cringing as she rubs her newly-freed throat, and both Videl and Gohan have been thrown back enough to keep them at bay for a good five minutes or so.

Startled beyond comprehension, Trunks is amazed to take in the one standing protectively over the adolescent.

_Uub_!

The half-Saiyan throws his head back, laughing out loud in sheer relief and ultimate gratitude. Goku's star pupil, a young man of merely fifteen, has saved Pan in the nick of time. The full-Saiyan must have sent the boy here when he sensed Pan was in trouble, when for whatever reason he realized he wouldn't be able to get there himself.

Thank Dende.

Pan, leaning into Uub's tender touch as he strokes her cheek, speaks to him now in a raspy voice. The Indian boy responds as kindly and cool-headedly as always, his determined gaze never leaving Baby-Vegeta.

Pan will be safe now. Uub will make sure of it.

Thank Dende, indeed.

* * *

Uub manages to send Baby-Vegeta careening back into the far wall.

Babies-Gohan, Goten, and Trunks all form ranks to protect their benefactor, but this inadvertently causes their leader's pride to hurt more than anything else.

He raises a hand to his shocked servants, who can do naught but gape as he blasts them from his sight and into oblivion.

Just as Baby-Trunks' body shuts down, so does his mind.

One last glance at Pan, a silent prayer for her safety if he's not around to ensure it, and Trunks is gone.

* * *

He doesn't think it will ever happen, but eventually the darkness shrouding his mind is lifted.

At first, he thinks himself dead. After all, what more can be expected after being hit dead-on with a blast of the magnitude Baby-Vegeta put forth?

But when his crystalline eyes come into focus on the tight, worried face of Kibito Kai hovering above him, he can't help but smile weakly. The god helps him sit up, and his silent wonderings are disregarded as he catches sight of the spirit water at the man's side.

Gasping lightly, he does a double-take. _Spirit water_! Goku's told him about that! Then that means…!

Flexing his fingers and toes, thinking as loudly as he can in his mind, lifting his arms and legs, he beams outright.

He has his body back!

Looking around, Trunks sees the destruction spread out before him, the unconscious bodies of Babies-Gohan and Goten lying at his side.

Suddenly, the familiar, bone-chilling screams of Goku and Pan echo throughout the city. Trunks stiffens immediately, his heartbeat quickening. Kibito Kai must understand how bad their situation is becoming, too, for his actions grow more hurried with each passing second.

The god helps Trunks to his feet. Thanking him heartily, the boy wishes the Kai good luck in his task (he'll need it) before rocketing off as quickly as he is able in the direction of his friends.

This _won't_ end badly. He won't let it.

What he hears as he gets closer makes him increasingly nervous—Goku's desperate threats; Pan's pleas for her grandfather's help—and when he arrives fully it's not much better.

His heart stops.

Pan is lying at the mercy of a Baby-Great-Ape. Goku is ordering the parasite not to take another step closer to his granddaughter or he'll blow the alien's head off.

But for all intents and purposes, Goku is the one who should be worried. For it is no secret that the Saiyan is using all of his strength to keep himself upright, and even then his entire body quakes. His energy is depleted to the point of almost certain destruction, and there is no help for them even as he reiterates the Kamehameha Wave.

Trunks smirks slightly in the wake of what is to come before he schools his features, and the half-Saiyan is glad Kibito Kai woke him first.

One hand bracing his raised arm, he is all too ready to play his part in this fight.

"_Grandpa_!" Pan shrieks, the Baby-Great-Ape seconds away from obliterating her where she lies.

Trunks' resolve heightens. His energy builds.

The girl is a mere ten years old. She's far too young to die. And Dende forgive him for being so selfish, but he just hasn't had enough time with her yet! No matter how long he has her it will never be enough, but _this _is asking far too much.

Goku's Kamehameha is taking its final bow (nothing has even begun to happen, needless to say), and secret tears have begun to well.

It _can't _end like this! _Please_!

All at once Goku's cry melds with another, a Kamehameha flashes by his head, and the Baby-Great-Ape falls.

Pan is safe.

The two turn to see Trunks, and their faces break into unbelievable smiles. Trunks returns the gesture before enacting his own personal revenge. _No one _takes away everything he loves without paying for it dearly!

However, the enemy is stronger than he anticipates, and even as a Super Saiyan 2 he is no match. He is pinned beneath the demon's foot before he can even comprehend it, and just as he feels his bones cracking, feels the blood and organs squishing, the Baby-Great-Ape curls back his great lips to form a cruel smile.

"Don't you recognize your own Father, Trunks?" the Baby-Great-Ape croaks crookedly, and the boy takes the bait.

Causing the pain to intensify in the process—the shockwave that electrifies him thus wakes him up.

"Why did you say that about my Father?" he demands, for in this unfamiliar form there is no click of recognition.

"Look closer, boy! Look beyond that which mere eyesight allows! The truth will come!"

Trunks hears his Father's voice, knows that familiar trick and gruffness of speech like the back of his hand, and there is no mistaking it (for the second time):

_This is his Father_!  
The next thing he knows he is flying through the air, his body exploding in pain, and the rubble-wrought ground comes closer and closer still.

A blur of movement, and strong, secure arms cradle him. He opens his eyes to see Gohan there, the older man's sparkling brown eyes staring down into his.

"Don't worry, Trunks!" Gohan assures, passing a sad, though firm smile. 'It's really me!"

Trunks grins weakly in relief. Looking to Gohan's left, he is even happier to find Goten and Kibito Kai with him. So the god was able to save both of the brothers, then.

"Thank goodness," he breathes, easing himself out of Gohan's protective grip as the man keeps a close watch. When Trunks is finally leaning on Gohan's shoulder, the man winds a guarding arm around the boy's waist. The lavender-haired young adult offers him a tiny, warm, teasing smile. "I'm okay, Gohan, really. You worry too much."

The man reciprocates. "Perhaps, but better safe than sorry."

Trunks rolls his eyes playfully. Ever the scholar, even here.

"Let's get down to Goku and Pan," Trunks prompts softly, and Gohan and the others are only too eager to oblige.

They land soundlessly, Gohan, Goten, and the god immediately checking after their Father and friend while Trunks busies himself with Pan.

Picking herself up from the ground with all haste, the girl immediately throws her arms around her best friend's waist. Clutching at him desperately and breathing in as much of him as he possibly can, he in turn enfolds her in his protective, loving grip.

Being in each other's arms again after so traumatic an experience is the best remedy in the world.

After a moment Trunks notices the front of his shirt growing warm and wet, and the boy loosens his hold in concern. Bending down on one knee, he moves to wipe her tears away.

"Pan," he entreats softly, a gentle smile gracing his features, "everything's going to be all right. Kibito Kai's spirit water completely destroyed the piece of Baby that was inside of us. He's not coming back. Besides," a more serious expression creeps onto his face now, and his free hand tenderly cups her cheek, "you're safe, and that's all that matters."

She sniffs, laughing lovingly at his latest conclusion.

"I'm glad you're back, Trunks…" a fist collides with his head, and he yelps loudly, "…but you're _still _an idiot!" There is a fire burning in her eyes, and despite himself Trunks finds his hair standing on end. She might be his best friend, but that doesn't mean he's safe from her wrath. "You could have been _killed_!"

An amorous smile, and a stray lock of black hair is brushed from her face.

"I know," he answers softly, his face calm and largely unconcerned.

A scowl ventures onto her countenance.

"Not the answer I was looking for…but," she sticks out her tongue teasingly and flashes a peace sign, "I guess you pass!"

Trunks' face illuminates further, and he leans forward to kiss her forehead affectionately.

Seeing he is about to pull away, she takes his face in her small hands and plants a warm kiss on his cheek. Burrowing back into his arms, she grins adoringly.

"Thank you, Trunks."

The boy's own smile grows.

"Always."

* * *

_A/N: _Thanks so much for reading!


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